LES ORGUES CASTELNOU Before arriving at Les orgues we made a side trip to Castelnou, a medieval village nestled in the Pyrennees. The origins of the village date from 990 but was abandoned by 1600 and restored in the late 19th century only to be rebuilt after a 1987 fire. One is never too sure what is really old since restorations are always so well done. The geologic feature called Les orgues d’Ille-sur-Têt is a relatively compact area that has been sculpted by the rain and sun to the formations we see today and which erosion changes constantly with time. The hard cap rocks protect the softer sand and clay strata which eventually form the tall columns referred to as les orgues or les cheminées de fées. That evening we stayed at the Château Floure, near Carcassonne, a hotel built on the ruins of a Roman villa. All that remains are a few cobblestones near the hotel entrance. The inn opened in 1991 and provides large and fairly luxurious rooms with lovely manicured grounds. CHÂTEAU FLOURE Côte Vermeille Les orgues Arcachon Bordeaux Boats & stuff Rocamadour Selected images Toulouse Home TechInfo St-Cyprien